June 18th
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| No way! |
Simon my host had brought me breakfast in my room on the stroke of 8.00 as promised. The Brooklands Guest House was excellent in every way - best yet - highly recommended. Awake at 6.00 I spent my time searching for an alternative to Mr Masochistic's "The stage commences with a hard uncompromising stretch of cycling Along the flank of Skiddaw at Bassenthwaite Common before reaching higher ground at Faulds Brow" I decided to just follow the A591 to Carlisle which I had followed all the way from Kendal yesterday. It proved to be a good choice. Reasonably flat and fast and only a mile or two further. On the run in to Carlyle I passed a road sign which amused me.
Forrester Fold.
No way.
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| Carlyle Castle |
Other cyclists were noticable by their absence today. Carlyle came and went before lunch time and but for a pesky headwind so would have the Scottish border. The wind from the West veering towards the North West became more of a factor as the afternoon wore on and by the middle of the afternoon was a serious pain in the backside. The road was wide and empty and had a stong gusty wind AGAINST. My mind went back to Forrester Fold but it would take a hurricane against and even then I would wait for it to abate. The border was a bit anti-climactic because there was not a soul to be seen (save myself) so I was forced to take a selfie ( not my finest hour) to record the moment.
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A mile further on is Gretna Green and its eponymous blacksmith ( which to be honest has become very commercialised) at which a wedding was taking place. It didn't look like a runaway wedding (there were too many well dressed guests) but a wedding at Gretna Green nevertheless.
The afternoon consisted of ticking off the villages on the B7076 after Gretna. Kirkpatrick Fleming, Echelfechan, Lockerbie, Johnstone Bridge, Beatock and finally Moffat where I am comfortable installed in the very centre of town in the Balmoral Hotel which is very good value for money at £50 B&B or £65 for my chicken curry and a pint of Guiness. Well it is Saturday night so I would let my hair down (if I had any.)
I didn't meet a soul all day. I spoke to no one. But I did see something quite remarkable about 10 miles from Moffat. On a flat stretch of the mostly empty B7076 I saw a racing wheelchair
whizzing along the road followed by a support vehicle with its flashers flashing. I was stopped for a drink of water (code for knackered and in need of a rest). The pilot turned around and set off back in the direction from which he came. When I set off behind him I was travelling in excess of 20 kph and I didn't get near to him. After about a mile he turned around again and set off to repeat his previous route. I was gobsmacked. I hope he achieves whatever he was training for.
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| Gretna Green Wedding |
whizzing along the road followed by a support vehicle with its flashers flashing. I was stopped for a drink of water (code for knackered and in need of a rest). The pilot turned around and set off back in the direction from which he came. When I set off behind him I was travelling in excess of 20 kph and I didn't get near to him. After about a mile he turned around again and set off to repeat his previous route. I was gobsmacked. I hope he achieves whatever he was training for.
Tomorrow is a long leg - nearly 85 miles so please no adverse weather.
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| Empty road |
Well Done, Brian.
ReplyDeleteWe read of the hours in the saddle, the miles on the road and about the lumpy, bumpy nature of the landscape from Lands End. With my cycling hills phobia I decided to anxiously thread through the profile of your route as far as Moffat. Based on previously blogged efforts I have been able to calculate the extent of your climbing efforts to the end of Day 9.
You have already cycled up total ascents in excess of 40000 Feet. Over these relentless 9 days that is equivalent to your having cycled up from Sea Level to the top of Ben Nevis 9 times or Mount Everest 1.4 times. By John o Groats you will have done 2 Mount Everests. In fact, when you physically pass Ben Nevis on your right hand side your equivalent ascents of Ben Nevis will be into double figures.
Every day, you dig into a deep reservoir of energy, guts, determination and mental strength to achieve your daily goals. You have to take each day as it comes with all its variables.
What hasn’t varied is your target to raise £5000 for The Samaritans. That achievement will help many individuals to climb their personal Ben Nevis or Mount Everest.
Your sterling efforts deserve a £ sterling response.
Fantastic that you have now crossed the Border. Thank you for your brave efforts. Again, Well Done. BH.
We nearly always stop for a bite in Moffat on our way north up the M74. Little the bakers do really good bakery produce, for me especially the pasties. Lici likes their breakfast rolls. Looks like a fair wind out the NW tomorrow, not good, but otherwise reasonable weather. Bit of a climb over Beattock to start with but maybe sheltered from the wind until you start coming down. You're getting there!
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